Do you struggle with hunched shoulders, a stiff neck and sore back? You’re not alone. Like many office workers glued to their screens, I tend to slouch, leading to aches and pains building up throughout the day.
So what's the remedy? Regular movement is essential, and stretching helps, too. But, above all, strengthening your core and posterior chain—including your upper-back muscles—can improve your posture and ease daily discomfort.
Trainer Carrie Baxter from fitness app WithU highlights three easy exercises to maintain a pain-free posture.
"All three exercises are going to help build strength in your posterior chain—aka the back of the body—and also your core, which in turn is going to help you improve your posture," she tells Fit&Well, while demonstrating each move in a video.
Three exercises to boost your posture
There are three moves to try:
- Shoulder blade squeeze
- Reverse flye
- Bird dog
Baxter recommends incorporating these three bodyweight exercises into your daily routine. She prefers to use them in a morning mobility flow, but they are just as effective as a lunchtime reset—perfect if you’re working from home to wake up dormant muscles.
Aim for 20-30 seconds of each exercise to get everything moving. Repeat the circuit two or three times if you’re incorporating it into your workout or morning routine.
As you get stronger, you could introduce light dumbbells for the reverse flye—but always maintain control. The goal is consistency to improve your posture over time.
Shoulder blade squeeze
- Stand tall, inhale and lift your chest and lengthen your torso.
- Keeping your shoulders down and relaxed, draw your shoulder blades back, bringing your arms out to your sides.
- Squeeze your shoulder blades together for a count of two then return to the starting position.
Reverse flye
- Stand with feet hip-width apart, with a slight bend in your knees.
- Hinge forward at your hips, keeping a flat back and bring your arms out wide, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
- Feel the back of your shoulders (rear deltoids) engaging.
- Slowly bring your hands together and repeat.
Bird dog
- Start on your hands and knees, with hands under shoulders and knees under your hips.
- Engage your core by drawing your navel toward your spine.
- Extend your right leg behind you and left arm forward, keeping your back flat.
- Focus on hip stability, alternating between opposite arm and leg.
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